Terminal clip



9, 1941. w. c. CLARK 2,253,'47

r TERMINAL CLIP Filed Nov. 27, 1939 I 4 V mmavCO U &maa w G, Gram&

Patented Aug. 1941 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention is an improvement in terminal clips for use with battery liiting straps.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a terminal clip which can be formed !rom one piece of metallic plate and which will, in operation, firmly encompass and grip a hattery' terminal.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an economically produced terminal clip which will firmly grasp a battery terminal regardless of the surface condition thereot and in such a manner as to prevent their discon-' nection until the same is desirable, at which time, the clip can be disconnected from the terminal in a simple manner. t v

Other objects of the present invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the following detailed description oi the accompanying drawing which discloses one manner in which the present invention can be carried out whereby, those persons skilled in the present art can readily apprehend and reconstruct the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a battery having a battery lifting strap using terminal clips according to the present invention 'connected to the terminals of the battery.

l Fig; 2 is a side elevationof the 'present terminal 'clip connected to a battery terminal.

Flg. 3 is a top elevation of Fig.

Fig. 4 is a side detail cross sectional View taken 'a terminal clip 'I by-means oi' a metal hand 5 passing through a slot i iormed in the clip 'I and connected byrivets, or the like, to an end of the strap 4.

The terminal clip 1, which can be formed if desired from a single piece o! plate material by a side end wall |2 formed in the clip 1. said end I l and said end wall il, together form the major portion of a circle having a diameter somewhat equivalent to the diameter of a hattery terminal. End ll tapers inwardiy relative to the end portion 9 of tongue 8. whereby the upper edge oi end ll forms a knife'edge ID.

Clip 'I is bent upwardiy and outwardly as at a. which in turn forms a lifting hande H; which handle M is sufliciently large for at least one flnger to nt thereunder and lift that end of clip 1 upwardly.-

A battery lifting strap 'I connected to the opposite ends thereof, is positioned diagonally across the battery I, whereby, the opening formed by end ll and wall i! of the clips l may be placed with one of the battery terminals 2 or 3 thereth'ough and with end ll and wall I! encompassing the battery terminal. Upon strap I being pulled upwardly tor liiting the battery I, knife edge o will be caused to bite inwardly and downwardly into the terminal, due to the upward movement of strap 4 and its connection to clips 1. At the same time; the 'lower edge of wall I! will bite into the terminal and will thereby cooperate with knii'e edge e in flrmly gripping the terminal in such a manner that downward movement of the terminal relative to the clips 'I is prohibited. Knife edge ili performs the function of a pivot for the terminal `clip with the pressu-re being applied upwardly at one end by the lifting of the strap I, thereby giving considerable leverage to the movement of wall I! towards and into the battery terminal.

' When it is desired to remove the battery lifting strap with its terminal clips from the hattery I,

a sufllcient pressure is applied to handle N which i will lift wall |2 from the terminal, using knife edge III as the pivot point. and as handle Il is further moved upwardly, end ll will contact the periphery of the terminal, withdrawing kniie i edge o from its position within the surface o! single stamping' operation, has, in addition to ai'orementioned slot 8, a tongue [cut and bent upwardiy from the medial portion thereof. The outer end portion 9 of tongue '8 is bent to extend substantially horizontal with or downwardly towards the body 1 of the clip.

The end face II of tongue C is curved as is the the battery terminal. By having knife edge o and the lower edge o! wall I! upon different planes.

the one acts as a pivot for the other during the i liitlng movement of strap I. thereby, through the medium ot leverage, creating a greater force to the biting action of these edges, whereby, a

%mer gripping of the battery terminal is pro- Other types of handies than that shown can be readily connected to clips 'I and also an operative battery liiting 'device can be provided using a handle withhut one clip'1 connected thereto, or only one clip 'I of the pair as shown can be used 4. having a pair of clips 'has been destroyed.

where. for example, a battery terminal 2 or 3 Clip 'I will grip a single termina] in such a. maune:- that the battery can be readily iifted without the aid oi the second clip.

The present invention is readily capabie of being modified from the particular clip shown ingaging the truncated cone-shaped terminais of an electric storage' battery, each clip comprising in combination a single strip of metal oi' a, substantialiy rectanguiar conflumtion and having a. siot fai-med in one end thereof whereby one end of the strap may be connected to each clip, each clip having an elongeted opening formed therein with a, rounded end wall, a tongue struck from each metal strip having a contiguous connectio therewith at a. point opposite from the munden end wall formed by the opening therein, the tree end portion oi said tongue lying in a plane above and parallel with the metal strip. the extremity ot the !ree end portion of said tongue terminating in a rounded knue edge, which letter when combined with the rounded end wall of the opening formed within each metal strip provides a circular open'ing of a diameter capabie of receiving one oi the truncated cone-shaped terminal::. oi the bettery. a. reduced projection i'ormed contiguous with and extending !rom the opposite end oi each oi said clips, each projection extending upwardiy and outwardiy !rom the clip therefor, the outer extremity oi each projection being remoteiy positioned with respect to its clip and providing handies wherehy the clips may be lifted from the terminal post of the battery seated within the openings thereoi' when removing the strap. 4

WlILIAM C. CLARK. 

